Posted on 03/27/2012 8:21:24 PM PDT by doug from upland
Magic Johnson Wins Auction for Dodgers Basketball legend Magic Johnson led a group that won an auction for the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, marking the final chapter of in a soap-opera style saga for the legendary franchise.
Johnson has a reputation as a capable businessman. This could be good development for the Blue Crew.
Good news for los Doyers if he isn’t letting Frank McCourt keep the parking lots.
I guess it’s cool. I lost interest in the Dodgers when they traded Steve Garvey.
Agreed. Magic brought thinkinkg to basketball, then used that to his numerous and very successful businesses.
And, of course, L.A. will LOVE having him as part of yet another historic local sports franchise.
Just read that if this goes through McCourt will make a $900 million dollar profit
Actually the Dodgers did not trade Garvey, he declared free agency and signed with the Padres. Probably a good move on the Dodgers’ part. I noticed a downgrade on Garvey’s abilities in 1982 and that was his last good year.
I was very happy that Mark Cuban did not buy the Dodgers.
Left field pavillion seats at $50?
Baseball used to be a TEAM sport and the Dodgers had a team attitude. They had the same infield for almost a decade with Garvey, Sacks and Lopes and the same pitching staff with Hersheiser and Sutton and Charlie Hough and you equated the players with the city and the city with the team.
After Garvey left there was never again that cohesive team spirit on the Dodgers and worse, the whole of major league baseball became nothing more than a business venture for corporations and billionaire capitalists.
I guess it wasn't just the Dodgers that lost my interest. I love baseball, but I just have a hard time getting invested in any team these days. No matter which team you are currently rooting for, the roster will change so much in the next 3 years that even if you are a season ticket holder, you'll need to buy a program so you know who's playing on YOUR TEAM.
Good thing the Villaraigosa group didn’t get it and move the team to Mexico. (There was not really a Villaraigosa group.)
here’s the ESPN link
Magic just tweeted out confirmation.
FYI....MLB had appointed a committee of three owners to review the financial statements of the various groups bidding for the Dodgers. One of the owners...none other than NY Mets owner Fred Wilpon..he of the Bernie Madoff connection....
1.1 bil was sale of Miami Dolphins, the second highest sports franchise. Good grief is this ever a lot of money.
FWIIW, I get a bit misty remembering the Iron Curtain Infield and the Big Blue Wrecking Crew.
That was my entire childhood.
Doug,
I listened to this one with a crappy transistor radio on my parents’ kitchen.
Went to game 4 of the World Series, sat at the very top of the RF pavilion. Just missed catching Wes Parker’s homer as I was walking up the steps.
“Batting against him [Don Drysdale] is the same as making a date with the dentist.” – Dick Groat[5]
“Don Drysdale would consider an intentional walk a waste of three pitches. If he wants to put you on base, he can hit you with one pitch.” – Mike Shannon
“The trick against Drysdale is to hit him before he hits you.” – Orlando Cepeda
“I hated to bat against Drysdale. After he hit you he’d come around, look at the bruise on your arm and say, ‘Do you want me to sign it?’” – Mickey Mantle
“For every Dodger they [the Giants’ pitchers] knock down, I’ll knock down two of theirs—and they won’t be .220 hitters, either.” – Drysdale, still on the subject of brushback pitches; quoted from the Los Angeles Times
Ron Cey was at third base, Russell at short, Lopes at second and Garvey at first. One of the best infields of all times!
It was Cey, Lopes, Russell, Garvey.
I was there in 1982 when Cey and Yeager hit back to back HRs in the bottom of the 7th in almost the identical spot in left center to beat Guidry 2-1. Saw Koufax pitch his first no hitter against the Mets.
From Seinfeld— “No parking lot for you!”
Frank McCourt will still own the parking lots, so I and many other fans still won’t be going to any games.
Billy Grabarkewitz played 3rd base...
Btw, I could never figure out how the Reds and Braves were "West" teams. Or why the Cubs were "East"
“No matter which team you are currently rooting for, the roster will change so much in the next 3 years that even if you are a season ticket holder, you’ll need to buy a program so you know who’s playing on your TEAM.”
That is so true in all professional sports! It is almost impossible to root for a team these days. For goodness sakes don’t get attached to any player - you will almost always lose out. Great for them and the money - no good for fans at all...
Interesting. I was always a pro sports fan. My interest in Baseball died when that great dodgers era ended. I had enjoyed all that team interaction especially Monday, Yeager, Russell and that penguin guy at third ... not to mention LaSorda and Valenzuela.
I grew up a 49er faithful. So, my football watching days ended when the Walsh/Montana dynasty faded.
My basketball heroes were always the Celtics and after the great Bird/Johnson rivalry, there was really nothing that got me excited enough to watch any more of that stuff either.
It seems the sports that draw my attention the most are where individuals have a make or break situation to get their checks; golf, tennis and pro cycling are more fun for me to follow now.
No need to move the team to Mexico. Mexifornia already moved in on the team two decades ago.
I lost interest in the Dodgers when Duke Snider retired.
“Johnson has a reputation as a capable businessman. This could be good development for the Blue Crew.”
It is going to be tough to get out from under that debt. He dug himself a huge hole by grossly overpaying by half a billion.
My parents were at that game.
I was there when Drysdale set the record for shutout innings.
I saw the Dodgers beat the Reds on a Johnny Bench error!
I saw two security guards rough up a roudy fan in a back area of the stadium (they didn’t see me watching them from above).
I saw Manny Mota make about a million game winning hits or long outs with a man on third.
Vinny (and Chick across town) were the soundtracks of my youth.
Ever see a chicken running around the outfield?
I’m still iffy. When to almost every game whenever the M’s visited during the interleague games and the stadium is a La Raza convention. If you every sit in the wrong seats, you might end up like Bryan Stow.
besebol be very good to ju?
Reds fan also...long time one... ;)
Are you talking about Koufax?
Ping
He didn’t win it alone, he also had help from aides.
Great. Now what about the parking lots?
>>Vinny (and Chick across town) were the soundtracks of my youth.<<
Don’t forget Jerry Doggett — our #2 baseball commentator was heads and shoulders above almost everyone else’s #1 (Vinny is in a class by himself).
I wonder if Magic is going to treat the Dodgers like his new TV network and only welcome African Americans to the stadium.
Wow, worst memory evah! Sacks aka Sax and Lopes may have played on a softball team where you might have two 2b’s, but not the Dodgers. It was Garvey, Lopes, Russell and Cey in the 1970’s (mostly)IF. Sutton was the 60’s and 70’s, Hough was the 70’s and mostly out of the pen and the Bulldog was 1983-1994. If you saw this staff, you’re the only one. The team spirit was its best ever when they won the WS in 1988 with a squad of over-achievers. Worst world champion evah!!
Video of Kirk Gibson limping to the plate and taking Eckersley deep in the World Series. Truly amazing. You never know in sports. Oakland was the prohibitive favorite, but the Dodgers got ‘em.
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=3364800
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.